MARCO SIMONCELLI, 5 years after Sepang

MARCO SIMONCELLI, 5 years after Sepang

A few days ago newspapers recalled the eighth anniversary of last Italian victory in 250 cc class of the World Championship, the apotheosis of the career of a rider “champion of bad luck” who in a short time did fall in love all fans of motorcycling, Marco Simoncelli.

Unfortunately nobody can forget another Sunday, the 23 October 2011, when at corner 11 of the Malaysian track the twenty-four-year-old lost the control of his Honda  and was mortally hit by the two rider oncoming, Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi.

Following the death of Sic all the sports world has engaged to ensure that the memory of the Italian rider remained as an indelible page in the history of MotoGP with affecting initiatives; his native country, Coriano, welcomed over twenty-five thousand people for funerals and a minute of silence was observed before all sporting events in Italy.

Althought torn by grief for the death of their son Simoncelli's parents have shown great sensitivity founding the “Fondazione Marco Simoncelli”, a charity organisation with moral and humanitarian purposes.

In 2012 the Misano Adriatico circuit was renamed in memory of the unlucky rider, who lived a few kilometers away from the track, and in 2014 “SuperSic” was inducted into the Hall of Fame of MotoGP as a legend of this sport.

Lastly on 8 September 2016 it was announced the withdrawal from Grand Prix competition of his racing number, the famed 58.

All these signs of affection towards Marco demonstrate how much this character was loved not only for his driving skills but even more for his human being and simplicity.

Alberto Boschi